Netflix has just unleashed a heart-pounding new thriller that’s already being hailed as one of the standout action flicks of 2025.
The film features one of Britain’s most treasured A-listers, known for his string of legendary roles in Hollywood.
Critics are abuzz with praise for the film’s electrifying action sequences, promising a jolt of excitement for those who tune in this weekend.
Starring Tom Hardy in a role that showcases his intense physical prowess and directed by action virtuoso Gareth Evans of Gangs of London and The Raid fame, Havoc is not to be missed.
Hardy delivers a gritty performance as Walker, a detective haunted by a recent error, thrust into turmoil when a high-profile criminal meets a violent end and the mayor’s son is entangled in the fallout.
Audiences can expect a non-stop thrill ride featuring some of the year’s most jaw-dropping action as Walker navigates through a gauntlet of mobsters and hitmen to crack the case wide open.
Despite some critiques pointing out Havoc’s convoluted storyline and underdeveloped characters, it’s clear that blockbuster director Evans still knows how to craft spectacular action scenes.
The Telegraph lauded the movie with a glowing four-star review, proclaiming “Tom Hardy has a blast in this jaw-dropping shoot-em-up.
“Playing a cop on a mission, Hardy prowls his way through Gareth Evans’s operatically gruesome, eye-wideningly inventive action movie,” they continued.
Empire lavished praise upon Havoc in its four-star review, hailing the director as being at the “top of his game” for this “wall-to-wall carnage” and “fist-flinging fever-dream” thriller.
They wrapped up by asserting: “Through Walker’s journey, you can feel Evans’ intention to imbue his film with more heart than we’ve seen before in his work. And it mostly lands, although a more stripped-back ensemble might have helped with his objective.
“When it comes to his bread-and-blood-splattered-butter, however, few contemporary filmmakers do it better.”
Digital Spy was even more enthusiastic, claiming: “Havoc has the best action sequences of the year.”
This glowing appraisal was bolstered by their mention of two “five-star action sequences” and commended “Tom Hardy’s intense performance sells it well and keeps you invested so that you’re not just waiting until the next set piece.
“Good luck to any other action movie released this year as it’s a strong possibility that Havoc has already delivered the best action sequences of 2025,” they concluded effusively.
On the more sceptical side, The Guardian offered a more tempered view, noting: “Evans certainly brings the craziness and the violence but, for me, without the stylish martial arts of his Raid films and without any plausible sense that anything is believably at stake.”
Despite any naysayers, it appears that Havoc may not snag awards for narrative excellence, yet enthusiasts of high-octane exploits are bound to be riveted by some of the most intense hand-combat battles and edge-of-your-seat shootouts ever to hit the streaming scene.
Havoc is available to stream on Netflix.